Discussion of Prior Art
Since the objective, in many cases, in the model toy train industry is to replicate “real trains,” that is, to faithfully reproduce various actual historical engines, passenger cars and freight cars, it is worthwhile to review the construction of real trains.
Traditionally, real train cars have primarily been manufactured with various types and forms of metal, notably steel, and, in some applications, wood has been utilized, as in the siding of boxcars. Thick plates or sheets of metal were often used in freight cars to provide a strong, durable container body that would hold up to the weight of the load and the jarring movements during transportation. Over time, there was a movement to produce lighter weight cars by reducing the thickness of the metal underframe and sidewalls. An article in the November 1984 issue of Mainline Modeler entitled “Alton Aluminum Box Car” gives account of the real Alton Aluminum Boxcar produced using aluminum panels and some steel parts instead of being produced entirely of steel. When the Alton Aluminum Boxcar was introduced in 1945, some interest was generated, but overall, the cars were not considered successful because of problems with deterioration. Cylindrical cars, such as the tank car, were often made of die cast metal welded together or sheets of metal with interior braces for support. U.S. Pat. No. 2,108,416 shows a cylindrical tank shell constructed of sheets.
Hopper freight cars generally have one of two types of construction: those with straight vertical sides with vertical frames and metal panels and those with arcuate, curved sides and, in at least some cases, formed of a single metal sheet or panel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,405 outlines a cargo container or trailer with a body consisting of a floor, two ends and two opposing sides made of aluminum alloy plate with beam members. U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,499 utilizes a smooth arcuate side plate on each side of the car. In some cases, extruded aluminum has been used for the construction of interior posts or beams used to support the sidewall and frame of the train car body. U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,501 discloses a container or trailer sidewall having a plurality of vertical sections with each section having a hollow, tubular extruded aluminum post.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,285 discloses the use of aluminum extrusion for construction of the floor. The platform trailer discussed therein consists of numerous floor boards made of extruded aluminum joined together to form the floor.
Another feature of railroad freight cars worth mentioning is an interior side sill that connects the sidewalls to the floor assembly. Although aluminum extrusion has been used in some construction designs of side sills, none have been formed in conjunction with or as part of an extruded sidewall.
As seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,286,954, the side sill is an important feature for both lateral and horizontal support and a focus of strength in the overall construction. While U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,962 mainly relates to bolster assembly construction, it also shows a hopper whose body is defined by opposing arucate side sheets with a side sill structure extending along the lower length of each side sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,641,943 has a sill arrangement which forms a part of the side frame and is joined to a channel member which is part of the underframe assembly. The sill creates a beam running the length of the car. The extruded side sill member is attached to and supports transverse members. The channel members are constructed of a one-piece aluminum construction, but are produced separately from the side wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,787 discloses a light weight gondola having a cargo carrying structure of welded aluminum. The side sill members are formed of extruded aluminum. The material used for the sidewalls is an aluminum alloy sheet welded to the side sills and extruded aluminum frame. Support members in the form of vertical beam act as frame and are extruded aluminum alloy.
Use of aluminum extrusion has also been explored in the manufacture of other types of vehicular applications. U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,585 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,993 disclose a frame or compartment of a vehicle body using a tubular structure.
Model Train History
Throughout model train history, most manufacturers have used a variety of construction methods and materials which are dependent upon the technology available and the suitability for specific types of model train cars. Lionel Manufacturing Company's first train production in 1900 was a wooden train with a motor concealed below the floor. It was common in the 1910's and 1920's for manufacturers to use heavy gauge sheet metal which was readily available, relatively easy to work with and inexpensive.
In the 1920's, metal die casting became an increasingly desirable method of construction. The heavy weight of die cast trains lends to the perception by the consumer of a quality product. In 1925, Dorfan, Inc. was the first manufacturer to make trains of zinc alloy die cast. Other model train companies soon followed suit. Until 1934, most model train engines used some die castings for trim, but the engines themselves were built mostly from formed sheet metal. The increase in die cast usage allowed for more detail in the model train product.
Several other innovations around the 1930's were reflected in model train production. High quality metal stamping also added more detail.
Steel was common in the 1930's and was, therefore, another material used to build model trains. Pressed metal and tinplate construction, which had been used for a number of years, continued to be popular in the 1930's. Overall, the model train industry was expanding, a natural result of which was exploration of new techniques and designs. Another innovation, which the model train industry explored and expanded upon late in the 1930's and into the 1940's, was the use of plastics and the process of injection molding plastics. Plastic trains are still very common, especially for manufacturing freight cars and passenger cars. However, engines can also be constructed of molded plastic. Recently, manufacturers have used plastic molding to achieve a high degree of detail in the body of a car and have abandoned extruded aluminum for manufacturing model train passenger cars. Brass has also been used and continues to be used to manufacture model train cars, particularly engine and pass cars.
Although numerous technologies and various materials have been used for model electric train production, there has been limited use of aluminum extrusion in manufacturing and no use of aluminum in non-passenger cars. The first metal passenger cars were very simple and plain extruded cars. Because of limitations in technology, very few details could be added. Kusan Model Trains, later known as American Model Toys, produced the first extruded aluminum passenger cars in the late 1940's. Shortly thereafter, in the 1950's and early 1960's, Lionel also produced an extruded aluminum passenger car. Later, in the 1980's, Williams produced a passenger car model called the Metroliner which included interior slots to hold the window material and floor, but unfortunately, this car did not sell well. The passenger cars produced by Williams were reproductions of the Lionel cars from the 1950's. As improvements in plastic technology increased, manufacturers have turned to plastic molding to achieve a high degree of detail in the body of a car as compared to the perceived limitations of extruded aluminum, and accordingly, this technology has been overlooked by the industry in general.
It is also noted that there is a strong distinction in the design and manufacture of passenger cars as compared to freight cars. In both real railroadry and model railroadry, but particularly in the model railroad industry. Freight car trains are used to transport raw materials or products to manufacturing site, markets, seaports, etc. Passenger car trains are used to transport people and their possessions to specific locations. In this regard, baggage cars are passenger cars, particularly in the model railroad industry. The design of passenger and freight cars of passenger and freight trains reflect the divergent functions of each of the trains. Passenger cars are longer and lighter and have a higher aesthetic appeal. Further, the passenger cars of passenger trains usually “match” one another. Freight cars of freight trains are designed to maximize strength, space, and durability and have unique designs to accommodate the type of product that they will be carrying. Various types of train cars that would be considered freight cars are hoppers, tanks, flat cars, gondolas, stock cars, auto loaders, coal cars, ore cars, refrigerator cars, vat cars, and cabooses. Finally, engines are considered a further type of train car, separate from freight cars and passenger cars. All types of train cars which are not passenger cars are defined as “non-passenger cars.”